In this exclusive interview with CanadianSME Small Business Magazine, we speak with Erika Oakes, Senior Project Manager at TechAlliance, about her work supporting Ontario’s tech startups. With a background in education and entrepreneurship, Erika is passionate about connecting entrepreneurs to resources and opportunities that foster growth. In this interview, she shares valuable insights on the challenges Ontario’s tech startups face, the initiatives that have made a significant impact, and how TechAlliance fosters inclusivity, community building, and access to capital. Erika also offers advice to small and medium-sized business owners navigating today’s rapidly evolving innovation economy.
An enthusiastic advocate for growth and community, Erika Oakes is the Senior Project Manager at TechAlliance. With a background in education and entrepreneurship, she combines creativity, strategic thinking, and a people-focused approach in everything she does.
What are the most significant challenges Ontario’s tech startups face today, and how does TechAlliance help them overcome these hurdles?
Ontario tech startups face many of the same challenges visible across Canada, but in Southwestern Ontario, the funding gap is especially stark. Too often, stakeholders overlook this region, assuming innovation stops at the GTA or Waterloo. In reality, Southwestern Ontario is home to made-in-Canada unicorns, high-potential ventures, and sector leaders building world-class companies outside major urban centres. These founders are creating jobs, building IP, and scaling globally, proudly growing their businesses without leaving their communities behind.
TechAlliance helps bridge these gaps through tailored advisory, curated programming, and a strong referral network. With many founders on our own team, we meet entrepreneurs where they are and connect them to investors, angel groups, and non-dilutive funding sources that fuel growth. We place a special focus on rural communities through initiatives like the Rural GROW Accelerator, funded in part by the Government of Ontario, ensuring founders outside large urban centres have the tools and capital they need to scale sustainably.
As Senior Project Manager, you lead strategic programming and initiatives for startups and scale-ups. Can you share a recent project or initiative that had a transformative impact on a venture or the broader tech community?
One initiative I have been excited to be part of is the i.d.e.a. Fund, which just wrapped up its third cohort, and the fourth is starting soon. Supported by a $10-million Government of Canada investment, through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), the i.d.e.a. Fund™ is led by Boundless Accelerator (formerly Innovation Guelph) in partnership with five Regional Innovation Centres (RICs): WEtech Alliance, Haltech Regional Innovation Centre, Innovate Niagara, Innovation Factory and TechAlliance of Southwestern Ontario.
The program helps high-potential ventures access the tools they need to succeed by providing financial and business advisory supports to develop or redesign products, services, processes and technologies that reduce impacts on the environment and create made-in-Canada solutions. So far, TechAlliance has supported 53 companies through the program, providing funding, access to industry experts, and tailored advisory support that often extends beyond the formal program.
TechAlliance emphasizes coaching, community building, and access to capital. What unique approaches or resources does your team provide to foster inclusivity and meaningful connections among entrepreneurs?
At TechAlliance, inclusivity is embedded in how we cater to this vibrant technology community. From being industry-agnostic to curating programming for all different kinds, sizes, and stages of businesses to helping scaling companies access tech talent and capital, we help grow sustainable companies while being rooted in their communities.
Catering to ventures in the counties of Elgin, Huron, Lambton, Middlesex, and Oxford, we work with entrepreneurs across sectors and geographies, especially underrepresented groups and those in rural areas, to ensure all scaling businesses have equitable access to resources, mentorship, and capital. Our Rural GROW Accelerator specifically supports innovation-based businesses outside urban centres, helping them build capacity and investment readiness.
Founders benefit from no-cost, one-on-one coaching from Venture Growth Advisors who customize their support to fit each business’s unique needs. We also facilitate peer-based learning and connection through founder meetups, women-led venture roundtables, and curated sessions with government funders and investors.
With the rapid evolution of technology and market needs, how does TechAlliance stay ahead in supporting innovation and ensuring that founders are equipped for global competition?
Staying ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape means being proactive, well-connected, and leading with a founder-focused mindset. At TechAlliance, we constantly adapt our advisory services, experiences, and initiatives based on direct feedback from founders and insights from across the regional, national, and global innovation ecosystems.
We work with early-stage and scaling companies in emerging sectors like AI, cleantech, agtech, and medtech, ensuring they’re not only solving local problems but are also globally competitive. Our team regularly updates various initiatives and service offerings to reflect changing market conditions, investment trends, and technological shifts. Focused on our mission of championing, coaching, and amplifying businesses, our team collaborates with government, private, and educational stakeholders to help companies scale internationally.
Our Venture Growth Advisors bring deep entrepreneurial and sector experience, helping founders refine their business models, build investor decks, and position themselves for global markets. We also provide direct connections to capital, procurement opportunities, tech talent recruitment, and expert advisors through our curated network.
In terms of my role as Senior Project Manager, I help shape intentional programming that reflects the needs of the entrepreneurs we serve. By listening closely to their challenges and ambitions, we aim to deliver programming that is relevant, practical, and aligned with what founders need most to grow and succeed in a competitive market.
Finally, what advice or words of encouragement would you offer to small and medium-sized business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs navigating today’s innovation economy?
My advice to small and medium-sized business owners and aspiring entrepreneurs is to remember that you don’t have to do it alone. Building a business in today’s economy is challenging, but there are so many people, networks, and resources out there to help you.
Lean into your community, ask for advice, and stay open to learning along the way. The most successful founders are not the ones who never face challenges (those are inevitable); they are the ones who know when to reach out, collaborate with others, and make the most of the support around them. Stay connected to why you started and try to keep that top of mind through both the hard days and the wins.
